Choosing a handheld VHF radio.

Handheld or fixed

A Coast Guard Auxiliary author writes that handheld VHF radios typically transmit at 5 W and fixed-mount sets at 25 W, and that range depends mainly on how high the antenna is. In that author's figures, a handheld held about 2 m above the water reaches roughly 5 km, while a fixed antenna about 15 ft up reaches roughly 14 km. Boating Magazine makes the related point that VHF works by line of sight, so most handhelds have similar range.

That is the trade-off in those figures: a handheld goes where you go, including a boat with no fixed set, while a fixed set gets more power and a higher antenna.

What DSC does

Digital Selective Calling (DSC) adds a red distress button. The Coast Guard explains that pressing it sends a digital alert that identifies the vessel and, if the radio has a GPS position, says where it is. The alert repeats about every four minutes until someone acknowledges it.

The Coast Guard keeps a DSC watch on channel 70 and a voice watch on channel 16 (156.8 MHz). Its Rescue 21 system covers about 90% of the US coast out to roughly 20 nautical miles. The Coast Guard also says it asked the FCC to require DSC on type-accepted marine radios installed on US vessels from June 17, 1999.

How to make a distress call, and when, is something to learn in a course, not from a buying guide.

MMSI: the number that makes DSC work

The Coast Guard says a DSC radio must be programmed with a nine-digit Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI). Without it, responders will not know who is calling.

• Where to get one. BoatUS issues MMSIs for US recreational vessels under 65 ft that do not visit or call at foreign ports, and passes the data only to the Coast Guard's database. For international cruising, BoatUS says you need an FCC Ship Station License with an FCC-issued MMSI, which ends in zero.
• One boat, one number. BoatUS says two boats must never share an MMSI, and explains how to transfer or update the number when a boat or radio changes hands.
• Privacy. BoatUS notes that FCC-issued MMSI details are public and used by vessel-tracking websites, while its own registration data is not shared with them.
• Testing. BoatUS warns that pressing the distress button as a test is illegal. Instead, it says to make a test call to the Coast Guard's MMSI, 003669999, on channel 70.

GPS

To include your position in a distress alert, the Coast Guard says the radio needs a built-in or connected GPS, and it recommends buying a radio with internal GPS. Boating Magazine likewise recommends DSC with GPS in a handheld.

Licensing in the United States

Boat-Ed, a state boating course provider, says most recreational boats operating only in US waters have not needed an FCC Ship Station License since 1996. It says a licence is still needed for international voyages, including to Canada and Mexico, and for powered vessels over 65.6 ft (20 m). We did not read the FCC rule itself, so confirm your situation with the FCC. We have not researched radio licensing outside the United States; check with your national authority.

Features worth checking

Boating Magazine's checklist for a handheld:

• IPX7 waterproofing
• A radio that floats, or comes with a flotation case
• Several ways to charge it
• DSC with GPS

If you race, US Sailing's 2025.2 nearshore Safety Equipment Requirements, in force for 2026, call for a VHF radio, fixed or handheld. Your Notice of Race can add or remove items.

The Coast Guard also recommends carrying an EPIRB alongside a DSC radio, because receiving both alerts helps confirm a real emergency. See safety beacons.

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